We Were Always Meant For Each Other
by AzNeRd
Summary: A small girl ends up bringing two unlikely people together to create a very unconventional family with a bit more to deal with than a few bumps on the road. RLNT.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Thanks for checking out this story, and I hope you enjoy it.

SUMMARY: Set in PoA. A month before the new term, Dumbledore sends Remus to recruit a family for the Order because he feels they'll be needing them soon. But when Remus gets to the house, all he finds is a sobbing little girl named Emma Olivia Hughes. Without realizing it, Remus becomes the girl's new father figure, making her proud to have the last name Lupin. RLNT.

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Remus absent-mindedly thumbed through a muggle book full of ridiculous fairy tales, his amber eyes flicking to his tacked-up calendar every so often. It was just under a month before the new term started at Hogwarts, and this year, Remus was going to be there as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The job was jinxed, but he took what he could get. He actually enjoyed teaching anyways; his friends always said he was very professor-ish.

It was a good thing he had only a month before school, because his home by the beach had become rather lonely. The crashing waves and squawking birds creating a placid lull, but Remus had no one to share it with.

A sharp tapping pulled Remus from his thoughts. He looked up and around before realizing there was an impatient owl waiting by his window. Ignoring the fact that he was only clad in a pair of old sweatpants with a ratty shirt, he hopped off the couch. He walked over to the window and undid the latch, letting the petite owl in with curious, bright eyes. He wondered who it was from as he untied a letter from its leg. He held the letter in his grasp then rummaged around his kitchen until he found a cracker and tossed it to the owl. He opened it and began reading.

_Dear Remus,_

_I have a dire favor to ask of you. Please floo over to my office in Hogwarts as soon as possible._

_Sincerely, Dumbledore_

Dragging his hands over his scarred face, Remus had no doubt in his mind. He was going to do this 'dire favor' Dumbledore was going to ask of him. He trusted Dumbledore with his life. He simply couldn't just abandon him when his old headmaster was practically begging him for help. Without him, Remus would've never gotten a proper education. He'd probably be on the streets, begging for a money, lucky to get a Knut. He glanced at the clock that read half past two. A decent time to make the visit.

Remus grabbed a piece of parchment and his quill, scribbling a short and simple reply for Dumbledore. He fed the owl another cracker as he fastened the letter to its leg. Giving it a warm pat on the head, he sent it off before getting ready. He walked into his bedroom, changing into proper attire. A few minutes later, Remus emerged from his room in a pair of good-enough slacks, a rather worn button-up with a jumper on top. He slipped on his robes and shoes.

He wandered over to his rather dusty fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He threw it down and said calmly, "Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts." He stumbled out of Dumbledore's fireplace in a small coughing fit. He regained his breathing and brushed himself off before smiling and greeting the headmaster. "Good afternoon, Professor."

"Ah, Remus," Dumbledore smiled back, that particular twinkle hidden in his eyes behind the crescent glasses. "Do call me Albus. You are no longer a student after all." He gestured to a small bowl on his desk. "Lemon drop?" Remus chuckled and shook his head, taking a seat in front of his old headmaster.

"I got your letter, Pro- Albus," Remus corrected himself. "What can I help you with?"

The werewolf watched as Dumbledore cast a few charms to make sure no one eavesdropped on their conversation before staring at him with a very serious expression, saying the one name that made Remus quiver in fury, grief, and fear. "Voldemort." Dumbledore paused, sensing Remus' distress, but he nodded for him to go on. "I feel he may be rising soon. We need more allies in the Order. Last time- it was brutal."

"What can I do, sir?" Remus asked resolutely, wanting to help in any way possible.

"I plead that you go and visit the Hughes'; Allison K. Hughes, Jacob B. Hughes, and Emma O. Hughes. They're a powerful pureblood couple with a young daughter. I want you to go there and announce that you're speaking on my behalf. Ask them if they're interested in our resistance. I'm sure they'd love to. They always have been very kind," Dumbledore trailed off with a rather sad smile. "If it is not too much to ask, Remus."

"Of course it isn't," Remus shook his head quickly. "I'll go now, catch them before dusk." He nodded and said a polite good-bye to the headmaster. "I'll do all I can, P- Albus." With that, Dumbledore slid him the Hughes address with an encouraging smile. Remus stood and flooed back to his little cottage on the beach. He dragged his hands over his face and glanced at the paper before shoving it into his pocket.

Stepping into the salty air, Remus was hit with a gentle breeze that made him smile. He thought back to the address and disapparated, feeling the tugging sensation in his stomach. He stumbled a bit as he landed, looking around at where he was. He found himself on the beach still, but not the one he lived on. This one had several houses and huts in clusters and bunches; a wizarding village. Remus trudged towards the village. He stepped into the market and asked for directions to the Hughes. A young woman pointed him in the right direction with a shy smile. He smiled and said his thanks before following where she had pointed.

Then he saw the eerie green lighting. He picked up his pace, slowly gaining speed. He was a short walk from the house when he saw it. The Death Eater's mark. Remus broke into a run, tripping over jagged rocks, earning scratches as he stumbled up the hill the Hughes' house was on. Slightly out of breath, he couldn't help but gasp.

"Merlin," he muttered, his eyes growing wide. The Dark Mark shining bright above him, Remus walked right into the worn house with broken windows and tipped over and torn furniture. Whipping out his wand, he walked around cautiously, his wand lighting up the dank place after he had said '_lumos'. _Then he saw the first body and grimaced. As far as he could see, the place was empty except for the remains of an excruciating battle. He knelt beside the body, still alert. He tentatively rolled it onto its back and saw it was a woman with fiery red hair that could rival the Weasley's and dark emerald eyes. He shuddered at how the woman resembled Lily Potter. He whispered a soft apology to her before continuing his way. A few steps later, he found a man with hair like his own and his eyes shut loosely. He said an apology to him like he had to the woman, but then he saw the limp form beside the man. A boy about Harry Potter's age. His hair was a dark brown, his matching eyes dull.

Then a soft weeping reached his ears. Lifting his wand, Remus carefully tread his way towards the sound. When he finally made it where the crying seemed to be at its climax, he found himself in front of a portrait. He slowly took off the portrait, his wand trained on it. What he saw though was not what he'd been expecting, making him drop the portrait. Behind the portrait was a box large enough to fit a human. And there was someone in there. A small little girl with hair like her dad's and eyes like her mum's. She wore a short-sleeved blouse that was tucked into a pair of brown shorts. The little girl looked up and met his gaze.

"Who are you?" the girl whispered in a tone that suggested she'd been here the whole time. The whole time while her parents and that boy were killed. "Are you going to kill me like this bad people killed my mummy, daddy, and Elliot?"

"No, sweetheart," Remus shook his head, offering a kind smile. "Did you parents ever talk about Dumbledore?" She nodded meekly. "He sent me here, but it appears I'm too late." They both grimaced. "Come with me, and I'll let you talk to Dumbledore himself." The girl shied away, unwilling to trust him. "I pinky promise," he said as he held out his pinky.

"Okay," the girl said, taking his pinky in hers. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

"Emma Olivia Hughes."

"How old are you?"

"No, you have to tell me your name first," Emma said stubbornly.

"Remus John Lupin."

Emma smiled at him lovingly like she had heard the name before and had fond memories along with it, reaching out, she tracing one of the scars on his face fondly before saying to him, "You're a werewolf."

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**A/N:** 1,254 words. I hope you liked it! Please review, I love 'em, and they give me a reason to update! *wink, wink*


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hi guys! Thanks for all the reviews, I am really happy all of you liked it and reviewed :) Special shout-out and thanks to the following who reviewed: **Dndchk**, **lovemondotrasho**, ** . **, **edwardfiend**, **NatalieLovesCookies**, **RestlessDaughter**, and** MsTonksLupin**!

Enjoy.

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Remus froze for a moment, staring at the small girl in front of him. Had he heard her correctly? She had called him a werewolf. Was he going deaf? Was he hearing things?

"Wh- what did you say?" Remus managed to spit out, his voice strained and hoarse.

"You're a werewolf!" Emma repeated perkily, patting his cheek adorably. She maneuvered herself onto her knees and stared up at him with wide eyes. She reached out tentatively, but pulled back quickly, fear in her eyes. Remus merely tried to smile reassuringly, knowing he wouldn't be so trustful of someone whom he just met either. "Elliot's a werewolf," she murmured sleepily. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "He has funny scars too." She peeked around the house with one eye. "Is that him? Is that Elliot?" she suddenly asked in a very small voice as she pointed to the boy Remus had stumbled upon earlier.

"Emma..."

"I thought I heard the bad people use it," Emma whimpered, tears beginning to drip down her face. She slipped onto her butt and hugged her knees to her chest. "I heard the bad people use an evil spell. Mummy said it was called an Unforgivable." At the mention of the Unforgivables, Remus tensed up but began to stroke her hair cautiously. "The bad people used the killing curse. Mummy told me about it. She said if they used it on someone, that person would die." Emma pulled away from Remus and met his amber eyes straight on. "Elliot and mummy and daddy are all gone, aren't they, Remus?" Emma asked softly, anguish filling every word that left her lips. Soon there seemed to be a pool of tears surrounding her.

"They may be gone, but they'll always be with you," Remus told her softly. He reached out and poked her chest. "Because they'll always be right there, in your heart, watching over you. Always."

"Will I ever get to see them again, Remus?"

The glimmer of hope in her voice made him say, "One day. And they'll be so very happy to see you, Emma." He ruffled her hair carefully with a smile. "And you'll be just as happy, and you'll be able to be a family again." He held out his arms and Emma hesitantly climbed into them, a decent amount of space bewtween them. "Do you trust me, Emma?"

"I don't know, Remus," Emma frowned.

Remus chose not to say anything, and merely hugged Emma to him, whispering to her, "We're going to apparate to my house. Is that okay with you, Emma?" He got no answer. "Please. I swear I won't hurt you. I'll let you see Dumbledore." He didn't get a verbal answer, but the little girl nodded fervently. Cooing to her softly, Remus apparated, holding her close. The pair landed outside of the cottage with a pop and a hollow thud to the sand.

"It smells like my home," Emma whispered, peering over his shoulder and out towards the salty sea.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Remus swiftly changed the subject instead of mentioning that she couldn't go back to her home. He shuffled into his cozy house and gently set Emma on his couch in the front room. He knelt in front of her with what he hoped was a comforting smile. Emma met his gaze with wide, yet tired eyes that were so innocent that he felt like he was soiling them with his touch. "Would you like Professor Dumbledore to floo over here?" he asked.

"Mummy said Dumbledore is very nice," Emma smiled slightly. She nodded and tugged on one of her pigtails. "I would very much like to meet him."

"Let me just floo him, okay?" Remus smiled. He walked over to his fireplace and in no time, Dumbledore's fiery head was agreeing to stop by and visit Emma. Remus went over and sat next to Emma, who crawled into his lap immediately. She looked up at him. "Do you have any aunts or uncles, Emma?"

"Nu-uh," she shook her head. "Mummy and daddy didn't have any brothers or sisters." Emma smiled sadly and hugged her knees to her chest, her fringe casting a shadow over her eyes. "It didn't matter though. I had Elliot."

"Would you like to talk about Elliot?" he asked softly, cautiously treading in tentative waters. He forced a smile, caressing her hair. "But if you don't want to-"

"Elliot was really nice," Emma said in a dreamy voice. She fingered Remus' frayed collar. She tugged on it and giggled. "He was funny. He was my big brother. But he didn't always live with us. He used to live with his mummy and daddy. His daddy was a baker, but my mummy and daddy didn't always have muggle money, so we couldn't always get bread. I 'member one day me and mummy went there to get some, but we didn't have enough. A few- what was the word?" She paused and wrinkled her nose in concentration.

"Cents?" Remus suggested.

"Yeah!" Emma laughed. "Cents, we were a few cents short. Elliot's family was squibs, but they didn't understand that we couldn't have _all _that muggle money." She whispered to him like she was talking about a conspiracyl, "I didn't really like Elliot's parents anyways." This made Remus chuckle. "But one day, Elliot went into the woods, and mummy, daddy, and me went there a while after him to pick blueberries, but then-" Emma's was perky voice faltered as she recalled the memory. "I 'member lots a blood. Daddy picked him up and apparated back to our house while mummy picked me up and apparated after daddy. Daddy was a trained Healer so he managed to fix Elliot up. Did you know that Elliot used to give us the burnt bread his family threw out? Mummy would use a knife and scrape off the burnt scraps."

"Your mum sounds very smart," Remus complimented softly.

"She i- was," Emma nodded. "But Elliot got bited by a werewolf. But he still acted the same, but his parents didn't wants him anymore. So Elliot b'came my brother. And every full moon, him and daddy would go into the woods. Daddy was an anima- ani-" She stopped abruptly, her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out what the word was.

"Your daddy was an animagus?" Remus asked interestedly. "That's very impressive. What could he turn into?"

"Daddy could become a tiger," Emma answered. "Roar!" She popped up with her arms wide.

"Roar!" Remus played along, tickling her tummy. Emma burst into a fit of giggles as she collapsed back into his lap.

"Yeah," Emma giggled. "Daddy would become a tiger and play with Elliot all night long."

"Your father was very brave, Ms. Hughes," came an aged voice. Dumbledore stepped out of Remus' fireplace. "I've come to talk about where you'll be living now. I've heard you have no other family, but I do know of a wonderful couple that would love an adorable little girl like you."

"But Professor Dumbledore, I wanna stay with Remus."

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**A/N:** 1,215 words. Yay! Emma's so sweet :) And now all of you know who Elliot is. Well, please review! I'm already working on the next chapter, so I'll update ASAP. Thanks for reviewing, and I can't wait to read all of your reviews again ;)

P.S. Review are very, very, very, _very_ appreciated ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** I AM SO SORRY! I haven't updated in forever, so I'll update really soon after this, okay? I hope you like this chapter, so enjoy!

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"But Professor Dumbledore, I wanna stay with Remus."

Remus wasn't sure who was more surprised by Emma's statement; him or Dumbledore. But he knew which of them recovered first. He stayed glued to his spot in shock while Dumbledore glided over to Emma, scooping her out of Remus' arms and taking her into the next room to talk. He allowed himself to breathe when he realized he had stopped. Dragging his hands over his face, Remus stood up and wandered into his kitchen to prepare something for Emma.

He hummed tunelessly as he bustled about, trying to wrap his mind around the thought of how Emma might live with him from then on. What would it be like to have a little girl running around the place? Remus never thought he'd have any children of any sort. He was too dangerous; a monster. No woman would want him. No woman would want to bear his children. He realized that early on in life, so he didn't do much dating despite James and Sirius' persistence.

About ten minutes had past, and Dumbledore was still talking to Emma. Remus stayed in the kitchen, digging through the cabinets and his small fridge for some edible items to make into a decent meal for Emma. Eventually, he came across some spaghetti noodles and tomato sauce. He boiled the noodles, keeping a close eye on them, knowing from previous experiences that things could turn out very bad if he forgot about them. When he deemed them soft and just right, he strained the water out with a colander before tossing the noodles into a pan with the sauce.

"Remus!" Emma called in a sing-song voice. The said man turned in the direction of the voice, only to be tackled to the ground by a blur of light brown. He managed to let out a short 'oof!' as he went down, collapsing against the smooth tile, but thankfully not hitting his head. Emma smiled down at Remus with a toothy grin as she knelt on his chest. "Professor Dumbledore said I could stay with you!" Emma cheered. "He said it'd be better to be with you than an or-phe-nage cause you could protect me!"

"But, Emma," Remus protested, lifting her from his chest. He set her down in his lap, finding it hard to reject her large eyes that were so sweet and innocent. "You're going to need protection from _me._" His voice was strained and weak from the thought of the full moon. What he could do to her. He gulped and forced away the horrid thoughts. "I'm a werewolf," he muttered bitterly.

"And?" Emma asked, blankly looking at him as if he was stupid and just told her he was gay instead of a werewolf. She crossed her arms defiantly, a look of dismay gracing her young features. "I lived with Elliot, and he was a werewolf." She caught his look of hesitation and grinned. "And Professor Dumbledore said you transformed in the cellar with lots and lots of protection wards. He even said he would come here himself and do the spells."

Remus felt like glaring at his old headmaster, but instead, he merely continued to make excuses, "I'll be leaving to teach at Hogwarts soon."

"Professor Dumbledore says I can go with you," Emma continued to smile, but her once innocent grin seemed to have faded into a sly, mischievous one Sirius had once wore. Stop thinking about him! Remus grimaced at his old best friend. He killed James and Lily. He needed to stop thinking about him. "-and he says Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout would love to watch me when they don't have classes. He also said a few Aurors would be at the school, and that they could spare one to watch me whenever someone couldn't."

"Aurors?" Remus was pulled out of his denial and wanting to curse the headmaster's logical reasoning. "Aurors are going to be there?"

"To watch the children," Dumbledore explained.

"And by children, you mean Harry," Remus spoke in a deadpan voice.

"A few will be going undercover," Dumbledore told him, cleverly dodging the accusation with a twinkle in his eyes. "One is in the Order." Remus nodded slowly, Emma playing with the cuffs of his shirt. "Our first meeting is a week from now at the Burrow. I believe it would be a good idea to introduce Emma to Molly. She'll be a wonderful babysitter whenever you are on a mission or on duty."

"Of course, Pr- Albus," Remus said, deciding it'd be better to leave well enough alone. He watched as the older wizard waved his wand. Two plates were levitated to the stove and a fork lifting to portions onto the plates before gliding over to his shabby table. "I'll be sure to owl Molly and ask if we can stop by tomorrow for lunch." He smiled at Emma and told her politely to go eat. She happily obliged, skipping over to the table. He made sure she was occupied before saying in a low voice, "Are you sure she's safe with me, Albus?"

"If she is to be safe with anyone, I'd say she'd be safest with you, Remus," Dumbledore assured him with a different twinkle in his eye. "As delicious as your dinner looks, I must head back to the castle. I hope to see you and Ms. Hughes there soon." With a swish of his robes, Dumbledore waltzed into the fireplace and flooed away.

Remus turned back to Emma who had tomato sauce plastered all around her mouth. He let out a worried sigh. He knew close to nothing about little kids. How was he going to deal with this child?

As if sensing his gaze, Emma looked up and waved happily at him. At this, Remus felt his heart warm. He figured if he could handle any little girl, Emma would be the one.

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**A/N:** 1,006 words. Woo-hoo! Another chapter down. I hope you liked it. I gotta give props to the following who were just so awesome and reviewed:** lovemondotrasho**, **edwardfiend**, ** . **, and **Jovie Black**! Y'all rock! So can I get about six more reviews because you love me and this story? :3 I swear I'll update as soon as I get those reviews!

P. S. THANK YOU! Just thank you for reading my story and giving me a chance.

P. P. S. See ya next time ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I'm really sorry for the long wait, but if I get some good ol' reviews, I'll update ASAP!

Enjoy.

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Dinner was uneventful between the two of them as Emma just rambled on and on about her mum and dad. Remus guessed it was her own quirky way of dealing with their deaths. Remus finished his dinner first and got up to do the dishes. A minute later, Emma bounded up to him, proudly holding up her empty plate. He quietly praised her, earning a bright grin.

"Can I go potty and take a bath, Remus?" Emma asked as he dried off his hands.

"Sure you can, but I don't have any clothes for you."

"S'okay! Professor Dumbledore left a trunk in the living room," Emma told him. With a bemused expression, Remus walked to the said room, and sure enough, a emerald-colored trunk sat in the middle of the room beside the coffee table, the initials _E.O.H. _printed clearly on it. He approached it like it might bite his head off. Kneeling in front of it, he popped it open. Neat little stacks of clothing were folded in the trunk; shorts and t-shirts to colorful little robes.

"Emma!" he called, poking around the clothes curiously. He found a note inside and picked it up.

_The clothes grow with her, matching her size._

_Good luck._

_-Albus_

Smiling in gratitude, Remus folded the note back up and tucked it in his pocket. Merlin only knew he didn't know what little girls needed, let alone have the money for it. He glanced over his shoulder, watching Emma bounce beside him. He told her to pick out what she wanted to wear to sleep, warning her not to pick anything ridiculous, but he followed it with a smile and a tickling poke. She giggled and peered into the trunk thoughtfully. She dug around for a couple of minutes, proving that women were picky about what they were at any age. Eventually, Emma lifted a pair of green and blue striped, cotton shorts and a blue t-shirt.

"Come on," Remus stood up and held out a hand to her. He swiped underwear for her before she took his hand and he lead her to the bathroom that was close to his guest room. He grabbed the clothes and set it on the counter beside the sink. He squatted next to the bath and turned on the water.

"I can take a shower like a big girl," Emma piped up.

"Really?"

"Yep!" she cheered, wearing a content smile. Remus smiled back and pulled the curtain across the tub. He pulled the tab up, turning the bath into shower. He tested it until it turned warm. He turned back to Emma who looked up at him expectantly.

"Uh, do you want me to step out?" Remus mumbled, feeling a blush crawling up his neck. Emma giggled and nodded. "Oh, alright." He shifted uncomfortably. "I'll be in the living room." Trying to keep some of his dignity, Remus didn't run from the bathroom, but walked very, very quickly. He took a deep breath once he reached the living room and sighed. He slumped into his couch, closing his eyes for what he planned briefly. But he realized he had fallen asleep when he felt an insistent poking in his side. He shifted onto his side and met Emma's jovial green eyes.

"Hi there, sleepy head," Emma giggled. Her hair was still damp, so that meant he'd only been asleep for maybe five or ten minutes. "I was hoping you could tell me a bedtime story."

"Right," Remus nodded dazedly, sitting up. He lifted Emma into his arms and walked into his guest room that was just two doors down from his. He set her on her bed and ruffled her hair lovingly. "I'm going to go change, but feel free to get comfortable while you wait." He gestured sheepishly to the twin bed that was downed in baby blue sheets and a beige knitted blanket. He slipped out of the room, feeling embarrassed for what felt like the tenth time since Emma had decided to live with him. Remus quickly changed into a pair of flannel pants and a grey t-shirt.

"Hiya," Emma murmured, half asleep as Remus walked into the room. She had snuggled herself into the blanket and sheets, looking very comfortable. She shifted onto her side as he brought the chair from the desk over to the bed. "I want to- I wanna hear a story 'bout love. A love story, Remus."

"Well," Remus said, unsure of what to say. Then he decided on what the story was going to be about. "There once was a man. He was very different from other people, so he felt like no one could love him. But then he met three boys that showed him that people didn't care he was different. So all throughout school, they hung out with him like true friends. They often tried to set him up with girls, but he never got very far, you see. Because he never put any real effort, because he felt he shouldn't love, because that would make the girl different too, and everyone would hate her like they hated him-" Remus stopped his story and smiled as Emma's eyes drooped until they shut. He stood and placed a tentative kiss on the little girl's forehead. He left the desk lamp on for her, but shut off the lights.

"Good night, Emma," Remus whispered wistfully, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

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**A/N:** 925 words. I really love Emma. She's really cute. And sweet. And just very adorable (; I'd love to hear what you think through a review like the following have: ** . **, **lovemondotrasho**, and** edwardfiend**! Thank you guys so much for reviewing and supporting this story.

I am very happy and spoiled by the fact that I get reviews at all, but can I get a few more from all of you out there?

Thanks for everything :3


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hi guys! I've decided to grace you all with another chapter :D Tell me what you think.

Enjoy.

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A crack of particularly loud thunder shocked Remus awake. He wrinkled his nose and sat up. He glowered at his window that showed the raining sky and the blinding lightning. His blanket was tangled around his legs, sweat matting his hair to his face. Running a hand through his thick hair, Remus flopped back down onto his back and stared at the ceiling. A sudden creak of his door made him bolt him, fumbling for his wand. Casting a quick _lumos_, Remus blinked at the shaking form of little Emma who had tears streaking her rosy cheeks.

"Emma!" he gasped. He flung himself from his bed and next to her. Taking her into his arms, Remus hugged her tightly to him. Her sobs became muffled against his thin shirt. "Sh, Emma, it's okay. I'm here. You're okay."

"I wet my bed. It sounds like last night," she whispered hoarsely. "It's sounds the way it did when my mummy, daddy, and Elliot were killed." She burst into another set of tears, digging her nails into his skin painfully, but he let her.

"The bad people aren't going to get you," Remus promised her. He picked her up and at her on the bed. "You stay here while I change your sheets and get you new clothes, alright?" She nodded silently, still looking frightened.

Never before had Remus changed sheets and grabbed clothes so fast. Emma was no longer on the bed, but on the floor beside it, cowering in its shadow. After some pleading and cooing, Remus managed to get her out. He swiftly changed her into a set of pink pajamas. She was still crying when he finished and he pulled her into his arms. He maneuvered himself with her in his arms back into the bed. It took some uncomfortable wiggling and awkward twists of the back, but he managed to lay back down, holding Emma in his embrace. "How about we talk about something else? How about I keep telling you about the love story?" She didn't answer verbally, but nodded against his chest.

"Okay then. Even though it was obvious the man didn't want to have any girlfriends or anything like that, his friends kept sitting him up with tons and tons of single women in hopes he might fall in love. At some point, his friends had even locked him inside a broom closet with a girl." This made Emma smile. Remus felt it more than saw it, and he felt proud he was the one to make her smile. "By their last year at Hogwarts, the boy's friends had practically set him up with every decent girl and few un-decent ones." He paused in his story, unsure where to go from there.

"Who's Molly?" the six year-old asked like she could tell he didn't know what to say next. He forgot how unusually perceptive kids could be.

"Molly Weasley is a wonderful woman- a mother of seven, a wife, and a magnificent cook," Remus told her, feeling pleased about his description of the Weasley matriarch. "She's very sweet and caring, only wanting the best for everyone. She'll feed you until you feel like you'll explode. And she can be very nosy, but only because she wants to make sure you're okay."

"I like her already," Emma smiled sleepily, burrowing into his warmth.

"We'll probably be going over to her home for lunch," Remus explained. "I already owled her after you went to sleep. I should get her reply in the morning." He gingerly stroked her ribbons of smooth hair and sighed. He could feel the strings of sleep tugging on him. "You'll like her. You won't get to meet her kids though. She'll probably send them out for the day."

"So she has seven kids?"

"Yep, and only one is a girl."

"One girl?" Emma gasped quietly with wide, yet tired eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't know how I would feel having six brothers, and no sisters." She yawned and shifted onto her back. "But it got kind of boring cause I didn't have any brothers or sisters. Well, I had Elliot and he was best brother anyone could've asked for!" She yawned again and sighed. "You know what Quidditch is, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Elliot always wanted to play," she explained. "He couldn't play though. He didn't have any magic. But he watched it a lot. He even explained it to me. He said if he could, he would play Keeper. But I've always wanted to play Beater. Do you think we could play together one day?"

Remus thought for a moment; he wasn't very good, but he knew enough to help Emma become a prime Beater, plus the help from the Weasley twins, so he nodded and smiled, "Sure. Soon. Molly's kids like to play Quidditch, so when you get older, maybe you can play with them too." He basked in the little girl's warmth, feeling content. "There's Bill. He's about twenty-three now. He works at Gringotts as a curse breaker. Charlie is twenty-one. He played seeker for Gryffindor when he was at Hogwarts, and now works with dragons. And then her youngest children are still at Hogwarts- Percy, Fred, George (their twins, pranking ones at that), Ron, and Ginny. Fred and George play beaters and they're really good." He didn't get a response, and he felt a wave of sleep hit him.

He looked down with glazed eyes and saw Emma was fast asleep, cuddled in his arms. Smiling, he moved into a more comfortable position with his arms still securely wrapped around her. As sleep took him over, Remus thought about how long it'd been since he talked so much.

Probably about thirteen years...

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**A/N:** 984 words. How cute is Emma? (: Well, there goes another chapter, so tell me what you thought, because I'd love to hear what you think! I accept ideas, constructive criticism, compliments, and the such. So review please :3

P.S. I'd like to thank the following for reviewing: **lovemondotrasho**, **Guest**,** lollapalooza-18**, and **Moony and Tonks**!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hi guys! Here's the update you've been waiting for!

Enjoy!

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"An owl! An owl! Remus, wake up!" Emma yelled, jumping up and down on the bed. "WAKE UP!" She bent down and grabbed the pillow he wasn't laying on, proceeding to whack him fervently with impatience. "Remus!"

"I'm up," Remus groaned, having flashbacks to his Hogwarts years where James and Sirius had often had to pelt him with several pillows before he was able to force himself up. The present attacks of a pillow continued. "Emma, I'm awake!" The whacking ceased, and he felt the girl plop herself beside him. He sat up slowly, yawning as he dragged his hands over his face, realizing how often he did that. He retracted his hands from his face in an almost robotic way. He swung his legs off his bed and stood up to stretch. "Emma, did you find a comb and toothbrush in that trunk?"

"Nu-uh, but I'll go check again," she told him. She sprinted away, and Remus couldn't help but wonder where she got the energy. A few minutes later, Emma flew back onto the bed. She grinned and held up the asked for hair comb, hair brush, and a minty green toothbrush. "See, I found 'em! I'm gonna brush my teeth. You better let that owl in, he looks angry." Without further explanation, she skipped away and into the bathroom.

Staring after Emma for a moment, Remus stumbled over to his bedroom window and pried it open. Errol, the Weasley family owl, pecked at him until the soon to-be professor threw a stale cracker at him. He sat back down on the bed and read the letter sluggishly. Molly had agreed to have him and Emma over, ecstatic to have some guests. The letter also mentioned that all the children and Arthur were heading off into the fields for the day to play quidditch. He set the letter on his bedside table and jot down a quick thank you back. He sent Errol off with it after feeding the owl another cracker he managed to find.

He walked into his bathroom where Emma was patiently waiting with a coy smile. He smiled back at her, patting her head fondly. He sent her to the kitchen to wait for some breakfast while he got ready. He did his usual morning routine that consisted of a quick shower, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. Remus ran a hand through his still damp hair. He walked into his kitchen, dressed in a pair of worn jeans and an ivory button-up.

"G'morning, Remus!" Emma cheerfully greeted from her seat at his small table. "Can I help with breakfast?"

"Well, I was thinking we could eat something small like eggs and toast?" Remus suggested as he rifled through his refrigerator and pantry. "Molly will want our stomachs nice and empty when we get there, so she can fill them with her yummy food."

"Okie dokie," Emma agreed. She hopped up from her seat and wandered over to him as he bustled about. He cracked a couple of eggs into the pan and felt a tug on his jeans. He looked down and met Emma's wide eyes. She wordlessly raised her arms in a silent question. Obliging to her wishes, Remus lifted her into his arms gently, settling her on his hip. He managed to make breakfast easily, even though he was short a hand, but Emma was eager enough to help. The time went by quickly with the cottage filled with the little girl's infectious giggles.

After finishing their quick breakfast, Remus deemed it his mission to get Emma looking presentable for Molly's liking. He glanced at the clock that read half past nine. The two of them were expected to be there at noon. He had a good two and a half hours.

"Let's get you ready for lunch with Molly, Emma," Remus told her. He scooped her into his arms and once again, laughter bubbled from her, making him laugh along with her. He walked into his room and set her in front of his small vanity dresser. He went to the living room and levitated Emma's trunk into his own room, dropping it down by the door. He gestured for Emma to come over and she obediently did. "What would you like to wear today?" he asked her as she knelt beside him.

"I wanna look pretty," she told him defiantly.

"But you'll look pretty in anything," Remus pointed out with a loving smile. He couldn't explain it, but there was this bond between them. It had just been created on a whim and was already so strong.

"Thank you, Remus," Emma smiled, pecking his cheek quickly before looking through the clothes once more. "Hmm... I like this dress!" She held up a white dress with purple and blue polka dots all over it. "Can I wear this?"

"Sure you can," he told her. He helped her change. When she was done getting dressed, Emma twirled around in her dress in fits of happy laughter. "Alrighty, pumpkin, let's get your hair done. Then I can read you a book, eh?" Emma immediately stopped spinning and dashed to the little wooden bench. She plopped herself down and smiled. Remus chuckled, glad to see the little girl liked stories so much. He picked up the brush and ran it gently through her hair. "Do you want your hair in braids?" He got an enthusiastic nod. "One or two." She held up two fingers. "Two it is."

"You're good at this," Emma commented as Remus' fingers threaded and worked their way through her long hair. "Daddy was never good at this kinda thing. Mummy always had to do it for me." A sad tone took over her voice and Remus dropped a soft kiss on the top of her head. He thought about when Lily had forced him to learn how to braid hair one night on their prefect patrols. She had insisted he'd need the knowledge when he had a little girl of his own. He remembered how he had snorted, saying he'd never have the little girl she spoke of. Lily had glared at him furiously, whacked him upside the head, before continuing her lesson on how to braid hair.

"All done," Remus announced as he tied off her other braid. He lifted Emma into his arms and wandered into the living room. He plucked a book off the shelf and sat on the couch, Emma in his lap comfortably. "This is a book of Muggle fairy tales. This first story is about a girl named Cinderella..."

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**A/N:** 1,117 words. Aw, Lily moment! Sorry if you guys don't think this story's moving fast enough, but I really want to show how Remus and Emma bond. In the next chapter, guess who comes in. I'll give you three hints: she's a mother, she's a redhead, and knows how to make a badass dinner.

Thank you so much to my two reviewers: ejm12 and lovemondotrasho! YOU GUYS ROCK MY SADLY-AMERICAN-NOT-BRITISH SOCKS OFF!

Well, this is it for now, but I really love writing this story, and I'd love to continue, so please review with sprinkles and a cherry and chocolate and all that other yummy stuff on top!

REVIEW! :3


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Well, hello one and all! I hope you've all been well and enjoy this chapter (:

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Remus closed the book, much to Emma's dismay. He looked up at the clock that read that it was a quarter til noon.

"Sorry, sweat pea," Remus said, patting her head. He lifted her into his arms, placing a swift kiss on her forehead. "Molly's expecting us. Do you want to apparate or floo?" Emma looked thoughtful for a moment before pointing to the fireplace. Remus smiled and obliged to her wishes. The six year-old (while he was reading she had explained that she turned six on the sixteenth of June) was sleepy from Remus' calming voice as he read to her about princesses and evil witches and little mice. Taking a handful of floo powder, Remus threw it down, clearly saying, "The Burrow."

Remus clutched Emma to him as the he stumbled out of the fireplace, Emma coughing feebly into his shoulder. The two smiled and dusted each other off. Emma giggled, and Remus set her down. He walked through the empty Weasley house, Emma following hot on his heels. He poked his head into the kitchen with her mimicking his actions. The pair saw Molly Weasley fluttering about the kitchen, mouth-watering smells wafting from the several pots and pans on the stove.

"Hello, Molly," Remus greeted the older woman, announcing his presence as he stepped out of the door frame. He felt Emma hurry after him, hiding behind his legs. "My, it smells absolutely delicious. I see your cooking hasn't changed at all, well, perhaps it's gotten tastier, though I'm not sure that's possible."

"Oh, Remus," Molly practically glowed at his compliment. "You were always such a polite sweet-talker." She waved her wand at a pot and it levitated itself away from the stove and poured its contents into a large bowl. "Now, where's this little girl you mentioned?" On cue, Emma peeked from behind his legs, and Remus thought for a moment Molly was about to faint from probably cuteness. "Why, hello there! My name's Molly, and yours?"

Emma glanced up at Remus who gave her an encouraging smile before answering, "Emma. Emma Olivia Hughes, but it's Lupin now, huh, Remus?" She raised her arms, and he scooped her into his arms without a second thought. He smiled at her, but he hadn't really thought about it. Dumbledore had owled him while he was reading Snow White to Emma. The letter said that he was finalizing the papers about Emma's adoption. She was going to be a true Lupin soon. "Remus!" Emma called, waving her hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his stupor and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Miss Molly asked you a question."

"I was just saying how darling you two looked together," Molly smiled. "Sit, sit." She ushered them to the kitchen table, urging them to sit down. Remus sat down willingly, and Emma chose the seat right next to his. "I suppose Dumbledore's told you about the Order?"

"Yes, he told me the meeting's going to be here six days from now," Remus replied as he entertained Emma with some crayons and paper he had slipped into his pocket. Turning away from her, he addressed Molly, "I was hoping when I'm on watch for Sirius-" His voice cracked, but he hid it immediately. "-I was hoping you could watch Emma for me." Emma looked at him questioningly. "I just have work, Emma. I'll pick you up afterwards." She seemed satisfied with his answer and turned back to her crayons.

"Of course!" Molly beamed. "I'd love to watch the little one. Ginny's already in her second year, can you believe it? All my babies are so grown up now. Just you wait til Emma grows up, you'll be missing her as a child too." She brought about a dozen large plates and bowls over to the table, and Remus watched as Emma's eyes grew large. He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "So, Emma, what can you tell me about yourself?"

Emma looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a moment before she smiled coyly, "I like reading. Remus reads to me a lot."

"Remus?" Molly seemed bemused by her calling him by his name; she had noticed she had repeatedly called him by his first name. "Don't you call Remus daddy?"

Remus felt completely shocked by her question and opened his mouth to say something, but Emma beat him to it.

"Well, I had a daddy, but he died. Remus saved me though before the bad people could get me. I guess I never really thought about it really, Miss Molly. I had a daddy, and he's still my daddy, right? But he's gone now. He said that if something ever happened to him, and I met another man who acted like my daddy, he said it would be okay to call him daddy too. I know if I call Remus daddy, he won't be my real daddy, but if daddy says it's okay, it's okay isn't it? I'll only call Remus daddy if he wants me to." Emma finished her monologue with an expectant look at Remus.

Caught off guard by her passionate speech, Remus stammered, "Uh, yes, sure, I'd love it if you did."

"Really?" Emma squealed. She stood on her chair and pulled Remus into a tight hug. "Thank you, daddy."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Remus whispered. He made sure she sat back down and they ate and passed around food in relative silence until Molly grew impatient.

"Since we've got that problem fixed," Molly smiled, but Remus felt suddenly frightened. He knew that smile. Far too well. "Now tell me, Remus. Have you found someone special yet?"

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**A/N:** 974 words. Aw, Molly, don't you just love her? In the next chapter, it's really just one of fluff :3 It's story time! I hope to update soon, and I promise I really will try. So could you cheer me on a bit and review?


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hiya, guys! I know it's been a while, but I hope you enjoy this one! :)

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Remus sat on the steps of the Weasley's back porch, sipping an ice cold butterbeer. Lunch had ended about fifteen minutes ago, and Molly had sent Remus and Emma out back while she cleaned up. She had handed Remus two butterbeer bottles and a bottle of magic bubbles. Curious, when they got outside, Remus had blown a dozen bubbles and laughed. The bubbles were multi-colored and followed Emma around and swirled around her until she chose to pop them.

"Emma, come take a break!" Remus called, noticing the girl was beginning to pant heavily.

"Okay, daddy!" Emma called back. Remus began to feel all warm and fuzzy inside at the sound of her calling him 'daddy'. She giggled and popped all the bubbles that emitted different sounds as she popped them. Some quacked, some mooed, some oinked, others sounded like a train or a plane. Emma popped the last one that was a grey-blue, and it let out a loud noise that distinctly sounded like an elephant. She laughed and bounded up to Remus, plopping beside him.

"Do you like Molly?" Remus asked her as he handed her the bottle of butterbeer.

Emma took a small sip before replying, "I like her. She's really nice. She reminds me of my mommy." She took another sip and yawned. "Daddy, can I have a nap?"

"Sure," Remus smiled. He gathered the six year-old in his arms and grabbed the two bottles. He shifted Emma onto his hip and asked her to open the door. She did, and he stepped into the cozy house. He wandered into the living room and laid Emma down on the couch. Emma stared up at him, smiling sleepily. "Let me get you a blanket." He glanced around the room and found a thin blanket. He laid it on top of her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Will you tell me a story?" Emma asked quietly. "Finish the one you told me yesterday."

"Finish it?" Remus chuckled. "This is a very long story, silly goose. But I'll continue it." He sat down on the ground in front of the couch, stroking Emma's hair. "Let's see, where did I leave off?"

"The man didn't want to love anyone cause then she'd be hated like him," Emma piped up with curious eyes. "I think the man's stupid. Just cause he's different, that doesn't mean he shouldn't be loved." She pouted and folded her arms over her chest. "That's not fair."

"A lot would agree with you," Remus said softly. "But that's how the man thought. By the time he graduated school, one of his best friends was engaged to the girl he'd been pining after for seven years."

"What does pining mean?"

"He liked her for a very long time," he smiled, correcting himself so Emma would understand. She nodded sluggishly, urging him to continue. "He was one of the groomsmen at the wedding. His friends that got married soon had a little boy that looked just like his father, but had his mother's eyes. His name was Harry. One of the man's friends became the godfather, and the man and the last friend became the uncles. But then, Vol- He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, started to go after the man's friends and their child."

"Why didn't you say his name?" Emma quirked her eyebrow in a very Remus fashion.

"Cause I thought it'd scare you."

"Mummy and daddy always said his name," she shrugged nonchalantly. "They said fear of the name increased fear of the thing itself. Professor Dumbledore said that. So I'll say it, and you'll say it, and everyone brave will say it."

Remus smiled at her explanation and continued, "Well, it had gotten so bad that they decided to put them under a Fidelius Charm. A Fidelius Charm makes the person or people hidden from everyone. The only person who would know where they were would be their Secret Keeper. The friends made the godfather the Secret Keeper."

"Why not the man?"

A shadow crossed over Remus' face, and he said tensely, "The dad didn't trust him, because of they felt there was a spy in the group. Perhaps it was because he was different, or maybe it was because he never did trust the man fully. Either way, both the godfather and the dad agreed that it was probably the man who was the spy. That's why they didn't pick him for Secret Keeper."

"Poor man," Emma sighed.

"He was very poor," Remus chuckled. "But the godfather betrayed them, telling Voldemort of their location. They died bravely like your parents did, and their son survived, and is about thirteen now. But then the godfather killed the last friend several other muggles and wizards." His voice cracked. "He's in Azkaban now."

"What about the man? What happened to the man?"

"He hid, went under the radar, and lived a quiet life, helping Dumbledore from time-to-time." He went to continue, but found Emma fast asleep. With a sad smile, he bent down and kissed her forehead. He leaned against the couch and reveled in his past, wishing Emma could erase his pain.

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**A/N:** 888 words. This is a real short and sweet chapter with a bit of angst-y stuff at the end. I hope this'll tide you over. It's worth it though. I'll update in a couple of days, promise! And guess who comes in next time?... :D Anyways, hope you've all been great! I'll see you next time, but it'll come even faster if you review *wink*wink*


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hiya! Here's another update for you wonderful people :D

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"You're very good with her," Molly commented as she set a cup of tea in front of Remus.

"Thank you," Remus smiled. He took a slow sip of tea, hoping Molly wouldn't try prying into his love life once again. "She's a very sweet girl."

"I agree, and a very sweet girl like that should have a mom," Molly pointed out. Remus hadn't actually expected the Weasley matriarch to bring up his love life again, and he ended up choking up his tea. "Oh, Remus!" Molly rushed to his side and patted his back gently until he stopped coughing. "I didn't mean to surprise you, or anything, but can you honestly blame me? Emma's just putting up a brave front for you. She needs a mother."

"She has you," he pointed out, wiping the tea he spat up off the table. "I don't see why she should need two mothers. If anything, it'd only confuse her."

"Oh hush, Remus," Molly scolded, hitting him in the arm with the towel she conjured to clean up his mess. "I'm too old to be her mother. I'm her gran more than anything." She sighed and took her seat once more across from him. "I'm only looking out for you. You're such a nice lad. I have a very good friend that has a daughter about your age."

"How would your friend feel about her daughter dating a werewolf?" Remus asked dryly. Molly flushed and refused to meet his eye. "It's fine, Molly. If you want, you can ask Emma about it when she wakes up." He flashed a reassuring smile at her that made her smile back. "Maybe there'll be some attractive women in the Order," he joked. Molly's brightened, and she opened her mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door. The two adults glanced at each other, worry in their eyes. Molly motioned for him to say and whipped out her wand. She got up slowly and approached the door.

"Who is it?" Molly asked in a fake calm voice.

"It's Nymphadora Tonks, Mrs. Weasley!" a perky voice called from behind the door. Both Molly and Remus seemed shocked by how young the voice was. "Dumbledore said he owled you about me stopping by. He said something about getting to know you before the meeting next Friday." Molly smiled and opened the door.

Remus peered through the doorway and almost let his jaw drop. A gorgeous witch had stepped into the house, smiling and saying her thanks to Molly. Her long hair was a vivid purple and in bouncy curls that fell a few inches past her shoulders. She was a few inches shorter than Molly, wearing black Auror robes over a pair of ripped jeans that fit her curves nicely and a tight splatter-painted v-neck that cut off right below her belly button. Her black combat boots echoed through the house as she walked towards the kitchen with Molly, animatedly talking.

"I wasn't expecting you until later this afternoon, Tonks," he heard Molly say.

"I decided to visit during my lunch break," Tonks replied in a musical voice. "Thought it'd easier than visiting later tonight when all of your kids are here."

He gulped and stood to put his cup in the sink. He glanced to 'Tonks' and Molly curiously who were mere steps from the kitchen. Then he watched in almost slow motion as Tonks tripped over a random stray shoe and fell forward. Feeling his wolf reflexes kick in, Remus quickly threw the cup and plate back onto the table and managed to catch the young witch in his arms before she fell on her face.

"Oh bugger," she muttered. The witch looked up at him and the heat rushed to cheeks before she untangled herself from him. She took a step or two back and stared at the floor. "I'msosorry." Her words came out rushed and blurred. She looked up at him again with minty green eyes. "I'm really sorry," she repeated slower than she had before. "I'm such a klutz."

"It's no problem," Remus smiled politely. "I'm just glad you didn't hurt yourself."

"Ah, it wouldn't have been a big deal," Tonks said sheepishly. "I fall all the time." She flushed under his gaze and stuck out her hand. "Tonks," she told him. "Nymphadora Tonks if you want to be hexed."

"Pleasure to meet you, Nymphadora," Remus grinned without any hesitation. He shook Tonks' hand despite the cold glare she was giving him. "I'm Remus Lupin."

"How about you two come talk over some biscuits in the kitchen?" Molly suggested.

"I really should get going," Remus tried to protest.

"Nonsense," Molly shook her head, already propelling them into the kitchen. She waved her wand and ingredients flew from the pantry. She flicked it in several different directions and the flour and other ingredients began to measure themselves into a large glass bowl. "Besides, Emma's not even awake, is she?"

_Emma?_ Tonks wondered. Maybe she was his kid. Molly was very friendly. She felt like she knew her for a long time already. And Remus was polite enough, but she had to wonder about the scars on his face.

"-and sweet Remus saved her from her house after Death Eaters attacked," she heard Molly praise the man sitting next to her, pulling her from her thoughts. Ah, so she wasn't his kid biologically. She smiled at him, and he blushed. "He even had the heart to take little Emma in. The girl's darling, Tonks. You'll love her."

"Oh, Molly," Remus chuckled. "You're painting me out to be a hero, but honestly, I'm just a lonely wizard, and Emma's wonderful company." His amber eyes flicked to Tonks who was staring at him with a smile on her face. "I'm sure she'll like you, Nymphadora, well I hope she does."

"I hope she likes me too," Tonks continued to smile, feeling the subtle warmth of friendship from him.

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**A/N:** 1,030 words. Woo-hoo! Tonks is in the building, ladies and gentlemen! What d'you think? Adorable or what?

Thank you all so much for the reviews! I love reading them so much, and they mean a lot. Really, they do. Anyways, keep it up, and I can't wait to read 'em this time round!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hi there! School's back, and it's put such a damper on my inspiration. I honestly don't know how I feel about this chapter, so please tell me what you think of it. Enjoy!

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Emma wrinkled her nose as she woke up, the sweet scent of chocolate biscuit reaching her nose. She bolted up at the thought of the treat and immediately regretted by the queasy feeling in her tummy. Frowning for a moment, Emma slowly got off the couch. She was about to leave when she noticed the blanket she used was all rumpled. She thought for a moment and decided to fold it. It would surely make her daddy proud, Miss Molly too. It took about ten minutes of frustrating folding, but Emma managed to get the blanket into an awkward-looking and uneven square. Feeling happy about folding it so well, she placed it back on the couch and skipped to the kitchen where she could hear her daddy speaking.

She poked her head through the doorway and smiled. Her daddy was sitting at the table with Miss Molly and a very pretty lady with colorful hair. And then she saw the delicious biscuits sitting on the table, heat still pouring off them. She debated running up there and stealing all the biscuits for herself when she saw her daddy reach forward and grab one, biting into it with a smile. Crossing out that idea, Emma decided to just join her daddy in his chair.

"Hi, daddy!" Emma greeted energetically, sprinting up to him, tackling him with a tight hug.

"Hi, Em," Remus said back, panicking for a moment, thinking his chair was going to fall back. "Want a biscuit?" Emma grinned and nodded. She situated herself in his lap and reached forward. She grabbed a chocolate biscuit and ate it hungrily. "Emma, this is Nymphadora Tonks. I'm gonna be working with her."

"You're pretty," Emma managed to say as she chewed her biscuit. "My mommy said the only way you could have hair like that is if you transfigure it or-"

"You're a metamorphagus?" Tonks finished her sentence with a smile. "Well, lucky for me, I'm one." She scrunched up her nose cutely and her hair became an electric blue as her eyes faded into a lilac. "Ta da!"

Emma's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and all the little girl could think to say was, "Wow!" She giggled, and asked, "Can you change your nose and mouth and ears and-" She giggled again once she realized she was rambling. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "But can you?" Tonks grinned and morphed her nose into a pig snout, making Emma burst into a fit of laughter. She then morphed it into a duck's bill. "That's funny, Nym-a-dora!"

"Nymphadora," Tonks corrected lightly, "but call me Tonks."

"Okie dokie, Tonks," Emma nodded. "Do you like my daddy?"

Tonks looked taken aback, and stammered, "Um, uh- well, we just met, Emma, but he seems like a very nice man." Her eyes flicked to the man in question who looked like he was about to start laughing. "Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure," Emma smiled innocently. "Cause my mummy didn't like some of my daddy's friends, and she was always frowning around them. I just wanted to make sure, because I like it when you smile. You're very pretty when you smile." Tonks blushed and quietly thanked her. Emma grinned then looked up at her father just as innocently, but there was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Do you think Nymph-dora is pretty, daddy?"

"W-why do you ask?" Remus stammered in a similar fashion Tonks had earlier.

"Cause my daddy thought my mommy was pretty," Emma said like it answered all the questions rushing through their heads. "You're my daddy, aren't you? And I was hoping Nym-dora could be my mommy, but.." She stared at Tonks expectantly. "You remind me of my mommy. You both smile all the time, and you're both very pretty. And my daddies both thought you were very pretty." She looked thoughtful for a moment. Her face suddenly growing forlorn. "Mommy and daddy aren't coming back," she whispered. "And I'm replacing them. That makes me a bad girl, doesn't it?" She looked up at Remus with tearful eyes. "I miss them so much, daddy, but- but they aren't coming back. They left me, and now I'm being a bad girl."

"No!" Remus and Tonks shouted at the same time.

"It's okay to have a new mommy and daddy," Remus assured the girl. "It doesn't make you a bad girl, but I want you to never forget about your really parents, Emma. I don't care how much you love me now as your new daddy and possibly Nymphadora as a mother. Promise me you will never forget."

Emma met Remus' grey eyes straight on, nodding firmly as she said, "I pink promise." She wrapped a pinky around his, kissing it for a good measure. She gave a smile before looking back to Tonks. "You do think she's pretty, right?"

Remus stared at Nymphadora Tonks for a moment. She had settled on her hair being a bright bubblegum pink that was in the bouncy curls they were in earlier. Her eyes were a dark, tantalizing violet, her eyelashes were thick and full like dark crescent moons. Her nose and eyes were elfish, but strong and defiant. She didn't notice his stare and continued to talk jovially with Molly, stretching her arms above her head. Her shirt lifted slightly, showing a small bit of stomach that was probably flat on a normal basis, but protruded slightly from the biscuits she ate. Tonks laughed at something, and Remus realized how pretty it was. He chuckled darkly and shook his head. She had no interest in him, just like he had no interest in her.

But that doesn't mean he couldn't admit she was attractive.

"Well?" Emma probed curiously.

"Yes, Emma," Remus smiled politely, trying not to let his imagination go farther. "Nymphadora is very pretty."

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks groaned. She ran a hand through her hair and glared at him playfully. "Honestly, Remus, don't call me that dreadful name!"

"If you wish, Nymphadora," Remus grinned. Tonks glared at him menacingly. He continued to grin, enjoying how easily he could push her buttons. "Is there something you'd like to say?"

Tonks opened her mouth to retort when Emma kindly cut in, "Nym-dora, will you come eat dinner with us?"

The metamorphagus looked shocked by the request, and she glanced at Remus for a moment, meeting his gaze; his amber eyes were warm and welcoming, obliging her to say, "Sure, Emma." She met his eyes once more and felt the heat rise to her cheeks like earlier. Tonks looked away bashfully and suddenly wished Emma wasn't so damn cute.

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**A/N:** 1,142 words. Yay or neigh?


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hi guys! How've you been? Much better with this update, I hope! Enjoy.

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"You didn't have to accept Emma's invitation," Remus told Tonks as they stood in the Weasley's front yard, Emma chatting excitedly with Molly still by the front door. "We don't need pity."

"What made you think I felt obligated to?" Tonks said hotly, crossing her arms over her chest. "How do you know that I didn't agree to it because I wanted to, not because of pity?

"I apologize," Remus said quickly. "But even if you do, I won't blame you for saying no. She'll see you soon enough at the meeting next Friday. I'm also sorry if Emma made you uncomfortable when she asked you to be her mother figure."

"It's no problem, Remus," Tonks continued to reassure him. "I finish Auror training at seven, so I'll probably come around seven-thirty. And Emma's just being a sweetheart. I'm actually surprised she asked me to be her mom." She laughed good-naturedly, running a hand through her hair subconsciously. "You'd think such a sweet and innocent girl like her would cower in fear of a menace like me." She gestured to her attire and hair in emphasis. "I still go partying and pub crawling. It's strange to have a little girl wanting someone like me to be a role in her life. She barely knows me."

"Emma seems to think you're a good person, and her judgement is good enough for me," Remus shrugged. "And I think you wouldn't be too bad of a role model. I obviously don't wish for her to want brightly colored hair like yours any time soon, or at all, but that doesn't make you a bad role for her life. When she see's you, she'll know it's okay to be different." He smiled down at her, her petite frame only allowing her to reach his shoulder. "And it's alright to do those things, you know. You're still young."

"You say that like you're old," Tonks teased with a smirk.

"That's cause I am, Tonks," Remus snorted, shoving his hands into his pockets. She rolled her eyes and playfully hit his arm. "Besides, how could I not want her to idolize an Auror?" He faked a smile, because on the inside, he was panicking like no other. An Auror. Laughing and talk. With him. A werewolf. It was a foreign concept to him.

"Because I trip over anything that's in a two feet radius of me," Tonks explained cheekily. "Be careful, Remus," she joked. "One day, I just might trip on purpose to see those fast reflexes of yours." She continued to smile. "Man, why aren't you an Auror with that kind of speed?"

"I guess it just isn't the job for me," Remus lied. At some point in his life, Remus had dreamed of being an Auror, putting dark wizards away. But then he realized he never could, because of his lycanthropy. "I'm actually going to be working as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts this year. I'm very happy about it."

"You're going to be the DADA teacher?" Tonks gasped.

"You think I can't handle it with this weak body of mine?" he chuckled darkly.

"No! No! Of course not," Tonks hurried to correct herself. "Well, it's just- Dumbledore did tell you there were going to be Aurors at Hogwarts?" She got a slow nod. "And one was going under cover?" Another sluggish nod. "Well, Remus, meet your new stupid, Annie Livingston." She scrunched up her nose and shrank a couple of inches, freckles sprouting across the bridge of her nose; her hair faded into a dirty blonde and when she opened her eyes, they were a dark emerald-green. "Like my eyes?" she grinned, noticing his stare. "They're my natural eye color. It's easiest to stay as natural as ever, but there's no way I'm keeping my natural hair," she snorted. "God, it's so boring." She sighed. "I don't know how I'll do it. The kids aren't supposed to know I'm a metamorphagus. Especially Harry. I'm going to be in Gryffindor to get close to him and his friends."

"Why'd you say Gryffindor like that?" Remus said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, because I'm a Hufflepuff," Tonks admitted sheepishly. Remus looked utterly appalled, and Tonks couldn't help but laugh. "Don't look at me like that. Were you expecting me to be Gryffindor like you no doubt are?" Remus flushed but nodded nonetheless. "But you aren't the only one to be surprised; my mum's a Slytherin and my dad's a Ravenclaw, so you can only imagine how they reacted when I got into Hufflepuff." She glanced down at something and swore. "I better get going. My lunch break's almost over."

"But you didn't eat anything," Remus pointed out.

"I'll sneak a sandwich in," Tonks grinned. "Bye, Remus." She turned to Emma. "Bye, Emma!" She went to disapparate, but Emma flew into her, giving her a tight hug. "I'll see you tonight."

"But that's too far away," Emma whined.

"Not that far away," the older woman promised. She knelt, so she was eye-to-eye with the six year-old. "Well, I'd love to be like your mommy, but call me Tonks, kay? And since I'll be like your mommy, I'll keep my promise that I'll be there tonight."

"Kay, Nym-dora," Emma nodded.

Tonks glared up at Remus, her expression clearly saying, like father like daughter. With another brisk hug to Emma and a good-bye to Molly, Tonks disapparated with a loud pop. Emma stared at where she was and held her arms up. Remus smiled and picked her up, pecking her cheek fondly.

"Come on, daddy," Emma smiled. "We've got to get ready for Nym-dora!" Remus smiled, thinking the exact same thing.

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**A/N:** 1,015 words. I liked this chapter because mainly, we get to see their houses clashing a bit because you know, that's always fun. I changed the plot a bit, but I swear it'll still stay pretty close to the book. You've just got Tonks there as a background in Harry's mind, but main front in Remus'.

I hope you liked it, and I'd love to hear what you thought of it personally in those lovely little reviews you leave me!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Wotcher! Here's the latest installment of WWAMFEO! That's a really long acronym, lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's quite sweet :)

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Remus lowered the heat on the pot. He tasted the seafood stew and smiled; it was just right. He put the lid over it. He took off the plaid apron he wore, ruffling his hair subconsciously. He wore the jeans and Oxford he had earlier, but his shirt was all wrinkled now with a few stains here and there. He wandered around the house, wondering where Emma had gotten to. His questions were answered when he walked into his living room. Emma sat on the worn couch, an intense look of concentration on her young face.

"Emma, sweetheart," Remus called softly. Emma jumped and looked up, a pout present on her face. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to read," she scowled. "But I can't read all the big words."

"Why didn't you come get me?" he asked as he walked over to her. He sat down on the couch and lifted Emma onto his lap. "I could have read to you."

"But you were cooking for Nym-dora."

"Well, Nymphadora isn't coming for a couple of hours," Remus explained kindly, hoping the little girl wouldn't burst into tears at the amount of waiting she would have to do. "How about this? While we wait, we go play out on the beach." Emma face brightened exceptionally, and she was so excited she didn't think to speak, so she merely nodded quickly. "Let's get you changed then. We don't want that pretty dress of yours to get dirty." They got off the couch and went into Remus' room.

Emma dug through her trunk for a swimsuit while Remus got changed in his small walk-in closet. He was out in a matter of minutes, now dressed in tan swimming trunks and an old white t-shirt that was years old. Emma was still sitting in front of her trunk, relentlessly pawing through the mountains of clothing. Chuckling, Remus helped her until he managed to find a green one-piece with daisies all over it. Emma cheered, saying daisies were her favorite flower. Remus got her into it and redid her braids, making them tighter.

"It's about four right now, so we'll go in about two hours or so, okay?" Remus told Emma as they passed by the kitchen with him remembering to turn off the stove. Emma merely nodded and merrily skipped ahead, a pail in one hand, a shovel in the other.

It was warm outside, a soft breeze swirling around them. Emma dropped her toys immediately and sped out into the water. Remus grinned and chased after her. He scooped her into his arms, and she squealed in surprise. He laughed and fell back into the water, dousing both of them in the salty sea water. Emma shrieked at its cool temperature and clambered onto Remus' shoulders.

"Daddy?" Emma whispered in his ear.

"Yes?"

"You're it!" Emma flicked his ear and jumped away from him. Instead of trying to swim, the little six year-old struggled against the waves and ran towards shore. Remus smiled and decided to give her a head start. When he saw she was nearing shore, he took off after her, the waves not effecting his tall frame as much as it did Emma's smaller one. He caught up with her easily, scooping her into his arms as she giggled uncontrollably. Remus found himself tumbling to the ground, Emma ending up sprawled across his chest.

"Sand castle?" Remus suggested breathlessly.

"Sand castle!" Emma echoed cheerfully, giving him a thumbs up. She scrambled off of him, gathering her shovel and bucket. Remus sat up to help.

In all honesty, Remus couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much. The sheer thought of building a sand castle was simple and somewhat boring to him. After the past hour, that notion was thrown out the window, long forgotten. Emma was such a sweet child, such a lovely child. She was a ball of energy, and she was so talkative, babbling like there was no tomorrow. Their sand castle had turned out to look more like a lopsided shack, but Emma still beamed in pride for it. Once they finished, the two were stretched out on the sand, pointing out the randomly-shaped clouds.

A pop resounded through their lull of hazy words, making Remus bolt up, cradling Emma to his chest. He was expecting a person from the Ministry, telling him that he wouldn't get the chance to to teach, or that he wasn't allowed custody of Emma. Instead, a flaming red-haired Nymphadora Tonks stumbled in the sand a few yards away from them.

"Dora!" Emma squealed, launching herself into the young woman's arms.

"Emma," Tonks gasped at the sudden weight crashing into her arms. She fell onto the ground, grinning at the girl's exuberance. "You called me Dora," she murmured, patting Emma's hair. "I like it."

"Dora," Emma confirmed with a nod of her head.

Tonks gave Emma another hug before pausing, pulling away slowly, questioning, "Kiddo, why are you wet?"

"I'm sorry," Remus spoke up as he stood. "I brought Emma out to kill some time, and I must've lost track of time. I'm terribly sorry, Tonks."

"S'okay," Tonks managed to say with Emma cuddled in her arms. She tried to keep her eyes from wandering his chest, the damp shirt clinging to his lean body, leaving just enough for the imagination. She took a deep breath, shaking the thoughts from her mind. There was no doubt in her mind that she was blushing to the roots of her hair. Tonks bit her lip; no, bad girl. He was off-limits. He was her colleague. No. No. No.

"Ready for dinner?" Remus asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Hm? Oh, yes."

Following him in, Tonks found herself chanting no to herself, repeatedly.

No. No. No.

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**A/N:** 994 words. Bwahahaha! I had to thrown in the bit at the end with Tonks checking out Remus. I mean, who wouldn't? Well, thank you all so much for the reviews. I love 'em! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :D I'm thinking for the next chapter, a bedtime story and some one-on-one time with Tonks and Remus? And by one-on-one, I do not mean one _on _one. Peoples these days ;)


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I know I promised a bedtime story and some one-on-one time, but this sort of happened instead. Also, I'm not sure what day I said the meeting was on, so let's say Friday. Anyways, I think this is a pretty decent chapter. A bit of a filler, but good nonetheless. Enjoy!

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"Ah, Friday!" Tonks cheered as she stomped into the Burrow's kitchen. Today she wore her hair long and straight. It was an interesting black with a purple hue that went along well with her ripped jeans and black and purple robes. Peeking out from her robes, one could see the toes of her battered combat boots. Her eyes traveled the kitchen, the violet color they were tipping a few people off. "Molly!" she exclaimed once she spotted the person she was looking for. She scrambled over to the Weasley matriarch. She tossed her arms around the older woman in a sloppy hug, wearing a ridiculous grin. "I absolutely loved the chicken recipe you owled me. I had mum cook it since I'm rubbish in the kitchen, and let me tell you, it was amazing! I had nearly three helpings. Mum loved it too, said she'd like to meet you sometime. Even dad liked it, and he doesn't even like chicken much."

"Well, thank you," Molly replied graciously, face flushed by the flurry of compliments and words. She hugged Tonks back, glad to have that maternal feeling back with her. She pulled away and offered Tonks a cup of tea. She accepted, spooning in a bit of sugar and added milk to the point where Molly was sure that only a third of it was tea. "How have you been?" Molly asked, making a cup of tea for herself. "I haven't seen you for almost a week! With Remus, correct?"

"Yeah," Tonks replied, blushing at the name. She hid it quickly though and changed the subject abruptly. It wasn't missed by Molly, but she let it drop for later. "I heard Charlie's working with dragons now." Tonks figured it'd be safe enough to mention Molly's son who'd been in her class, and he'd also been her boyfriend for most of sixth year; that part, she hoped, Molly wouldn't remember. But the tell-tale twinkle in Molly's eyes told her otherwise. Molly went into a whole spiel about what a great boy Charlie was and how available he was. Nodding along, Tonks wanted to point out that she had dated him already, but Molly kept rambling, so she let her. Better Molly talk than her.

"Charlie is actually coming home for the weekend next week!" Molly said enthusiastically, causing Tonks to start and pay attention once again. "You should come by. I'm sure he'd love to see you again! It's been so long."

"Molly, I see what you're trying to do," Tonks tried hard not to sound irritated and not to sigh. "But that's not going to work. I dated Charlie back in sixth year and..."

"Just give him a try, darling!" Molly said in that sweet, nurturing voice with her eyelashes batting in faux innocence.

Feeling her resolve crumble, Tonks sighed a mumbled, "We'll see."

"We'll see what?"

Tonks jumped ten feet in the air, and Remus chuckled softly as he shrugged off his coat. He was dressed like he always was; worn slacks with threads at the bottom, a thin button-up and a jumper over. He wore a dark blue jumper today, bringing out the blue in his blue-grey eyes. Tonks blushed at her thoughts and looked around for Emma since she wasn't with Remus. To her surprise, she was babbling to Snape and McGonagall rather avidly, emerald eyes shining. She was dressed similarly to her adoptive father; a pleated skirt that was a caramel color and a baby blue sweater. Her hair was tucked back into a neat braid that swung back and forth as she motioned dramatically to the two professors.

"She's so cute," Tonks smiled.

"Isn't she?" Remus replied. Then he said something that sounded suspicious like, "She's not the only one."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Tonks raised an eyebrow at him, and Remus merely smirked. Before she could make a witty remark, Dumbledore called for order so they could start the meeting. Out of the corner of her eye, Tonks saw Molly lead Emma into the living room with a quill, a bottle of ink, and some parchment. As they left, she and Remus took a seat at the table. There was a lot of them so the seats were packed in tightly, putting Tonks in more than friendly proximity with Remus. She smiled nervously at him, but he didn't seem to catch why she was nervous. He smiled politely and turned to Dumbledore.

The meeting went on with Dumbledore explaining each aspect of their plans to catch Sirius Black. Tonks would be undercover as a student for both the Order and the Ministry. Snape, McGonagall, Remus, and the other professors in the Order would also be on lookout. Everyone else who wouldn't be at Hogwarts would keep watch on Harry before term started. Throughout the meeting, Tonks would sneak glances at the charming gentleman next to her because his focus seemed to solely rest of the Dumbledore.

When the meeting ended, Emma came bouncing in with Molly not far behind her. Tonks took this time to say hi to her while Molly spoke to Remus.

"Hey, munchkin," Tonks greeted, hugging the six year-old. "You look very pretty today."

"Thank you," Emma chirped. "Daddy picked it out for me." She twirled around and giggled. She turned her head to the side to show a sparkly butterfly clip that laid snugly in her hair. "Isn't this pretty? Daddy found it the other day when we went shopping."

"Oh, it's almost as beautiful as you are," Tonks smiled, tapping her on the nose.

Giggling, Emma said, "When's the next time you can come over, Dora?"

"I don't know. I'm pretty busy, Emma."

"Then come for some late lunch with us," Remus said, startling Tonks once again. He smiled at her flushed face and nudged her gently. "I know this cafe with the best hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate?" Emma echoed, eyes brightening. "Now you _have _to come with us, Dora!"

"Well, if there's going to be hot chocolate," Tonks grinned.

"Then let's go!" Emma cheered, dragging Tonks out the door. She followed willingly, but when she looked over her shoulder, she met Remus' eyes. She felt her core tighten and she looked away quickly. As Emma rambled on to her, Tonks felt herself chanting the same word she always did when she thought about Remus Lupin.

No.

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**A/N:** 1,092 words. So, what do you think? Hopefully, the next chapter will be pretty long due to the scenes I have planned for them. Review!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** So, guys... I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I hope you like it. So enjoy!

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"Welcome to Louie's!"

Amanda was nearing seventeen and working part time at Louie's for some extra cash. She loved her job, mainly because it let her people watch. She would make up stories about people and their past, coo over cute little kids, or make predictions on couples relationships. It was kind of wrong, but that's what kept her sane when rude customers yelled at her. Today had been a bad day though. Three grumpy men came in and harassed her to the point of alerting one of the managers. After that, a kid spilled juice on her. She had assured him it was okay, but she was sad to admit she was wearing her favorite shirt today. Amanda was sure nothing could brighten her day until she saw one of the cutest family's walk in.

The father was lanky, scars scattered across his skin. He had light brown hair that ruffled in the breeze and his blue-grey eyes were captivating. A woman walking next to him was as gorgeous as she was peculiar. She was pale with a heart-shaped face, a cheeky grin on her face. Her hair was a beautiful reddish-gold, loose curls framing her face. The peculiar part was that streaked through her strands were hints of what looked like blue then green then gold. Amanda also found herself intrigued by her dark eyes that were emerald with that same luster the jewels held. Though what really got her attention was the little girl between them. She had the man's brownish hair and the woman's green eyes, a perfect mix of the two; right down to the button nose the woman had and the lopsided smile the man had.

"Table for three?" Amanda asked sweetly as the trio walked up to the podium.

"Yes," Remus nodded. "And perhaps a booster seat?"

"I don't need a booster seat, daddy!" Emma protested. She hugged his legs, eyes widening as she pleaded. She turned to Tonks with a sniffle. "Right?"

"Don't get me involved in this, Emma" Tonks laughed, holding her hands up in surrender. "You take this up with your father."

"Right this way," Amanda smiled as she grabbed two adult menus and a kids one. She took them to a shaded area on the patio. "Your daughter's beautiful, ma'am," she told the woman. "The name's Amanda, by the way.

Tonks blushed before stammering, "Oh, I'm Tonks, and uh, thanks, but she's not mine. She's just Remus', my friend's, daughter. But thank you anyways."

"Oh, my bad," Amanda said, holding back a giggle. She passed out the menus and said, "You enjoy." As she made her way back to the hostess stand, Amanda made a point to watch the cute couple and the kid. The man and woman sat next to each other, rather closely she must add, while the girl, Emma, sat across from them. She sighed dreamily as she watched them all laugh and giggle. If only she had someone like that. Her spying and daydreams were cut short as new customers arrived. Casting another look at the happy family, Amanda began seating.

About an hour later, the trio were at a local park. Emma was running around with other kids her age while Tonks and Remus made their way around the small track that winded its way around the park. The two were walking close, their arms brushing every once in a while. Since they were in a relatively secluded area, Tonks had changed her hair into a deep indigo bob with grey eyes. Remus had only smiled at her random change in appearance, finding her unique look every day intriguing.

"Are you ready to start your undercover assignment as a student?" Remus inquired politely, making sure his hands were firmly tucked into his pockets.

"I suppose," Tonks shrugged nonchalantly. She had her eyes on Emma as she sprinted up a pair of steps to the slide. Her face was bright with excitement as she babbled something to the girl next to her. "It'll be strange. I've been out of school for years now, and I have the teachers' respect. Well, not including Snape." This earned her a wry smile from her companion. "But now that I'll be a student, I'll be inferior again. And it's not like I can show off my Auror skills either cause I'll only be a third year." She scrunched up her nose at the thought of only using a third year spells. "Do they even know how to disarm?"

"I don't believe they know how to properly," Remus grinned.

"Brilliant," Tonks groaned. "Now I'll have to put conscious effort into not being good."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," he told her softly.

Tonks blushed and looked away. She continued to watch Emma scurry around, bits of mulch and dirt in her hair. She was so sweet and innocent... Just like her dad.

Blushing even more than she had been earlier, Tonks cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "I'd better get going. I've got to pack for Hogwarts."

"Yeah," Remus nodded. "Right." He smiled nervously. "I'll be seeing you soon then?" She nodded. "Right then." Tonks turned to leave, but he leaned forward and caught her elbow. Before even processing what he was doing, Remus was giving Tonks a loose embrace. When they pulled away, both were flushed and smiling like teenagers. "Well then, soon you at Hogwarts, Tonks. I mean, Annie."

"See you then, Remus."

As he watched her go, Remus silently berated himself repeatedly. He was too old, too poor, too dangerous.

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**A/N:** 954 words. Yay or neigh?


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hey-o! I know it's been a while since I've updated, but here it is!

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"Out of all the bloody ideas you could've done! Honestly, Annie, you very near ran that poor boy over. What would your mother say if she say you traipsing about like this? I ought to make you late on purpose. Are you sure you're even ready for this, dear? You'll have to keep up with your work. Your mother and I will be furious with you if you get below an E."

Tonks shrank more and more, until she was sure the entire platform was watching her get berated. She stared up, wide-eyed, at Kingsley. He was under a polyjuice potion, passing off as a graying blond with dark eyes. Tonks stood there in a rumpled button-down and ripped jeans with her hair in a messy bun. It wasn't her ideal outfit, especially since her hair was such a dull color. It was for the mission though, as was being yelled at repeatedly by Kingsley. The shouting would make it more realistic, he said. By the time he finished, she barely had two minutes before the train departed.

Kingsley leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Good luck, Tonks." She nodded with a grin like he giving her a good-bye before sprinting aboard the train that she hasn't seen in years.

Tonks wandered up and down the compartments idly, not exactly sure where to sit. It was third year for her age group, and they all had their own friends already. After walking around aimlessly for a few more minutes, Tonks found a compartment with two first years that seemed more timid than mice. Seeing this was her only shot to get a seat, Tonks cleared her throat to catch their attention before saying sharply, "Get the bloody hell out this compartment!"

"We were here first."

At least one of them has a backbone, Tonks thought. The one who'd spoken was scrawny with a red face and messy hair. She smirked to herself. Continuing her act, Tonks rolled her eyes as she said, "Does it look like I care? Blimey, just move your arses before I move them for you."

Without saying a word, the quiet one darted out, needing no more persuasion. He had heard enough curse words to last him the year. The other one, the braver one, glared at Tonks for quite a bit before shuffling out, sulking all the way. Tonks smiled triumphantly when someone murmured into her ear, "That was a bit rude."

Jumping ten feet into the air, Tonks found Remus standing behind her with an amused expression.

"Bloody hell," Tonks growled. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"You shouldn't treat the first years so poorly," Remus said, ignoring her snapping.

"Oh please," Tonks rolled her eyes. "Like you haven't hazed your fair share of firsties." To her surprise, Remus flushed. He looked away looking more than a little guilty. She smiled at the sheepish look in his eyes, making a mental note to try to ask about his school days some other time. "Where's Emma?" She looked around for the little munchkin, but she was nowhere to be found."

"She's gone to attack the candy cart," Remus explained with a laugh. "I'm afraid she'll spend all the sickles I gave her."

She went to reply when she noticed a few fourth years coming their way. Tonks said to keep the act alive, "Of course, professor. I'll just find a new compartment."

One of the fourth years, a brunette with blue eyes, stopped by Tonks. He gave a sweet smile before asking, "Do you want to seat with me and my friends?"

For a moment, Tonks was beyond surprised. She looked around to make sure he was talking to her, earning some chuckles from the fourth years. With a blush, Tonks quickly made up an excuse. "I'd love to, but I told my friends I'd find a compartment for us. They're running late."

"I see." The boy visibly slumped, disappointment scrawled across his face. He stuck his hands with a frown tugging at his lips. "Well, if you change your mind, our compartment is just a few doors down." He offered a warm smile. He turned to leave when he said, "I'm Allen Luxor, by the way. Ravenclaw."

"Annie Livingston, Gryffindor," Tonks replied.

"I'll see you around then, Annie." With one last smile, Allen continued down the hall with his friends who were teasing him loudly like fourteen year-olds always do.

There was a beat of silence before Remus said with a twinge of annoyance, "What am I, chopped liver?"

Having forgotten Remus was there for a moment, Tonks was startled. She turned to him with an apologetic smile.

"Not that I blame him for trying to flirt with you, but who did he think I was?" Remus chuckled. "A seventh year with really bad genes?"

Laughing, Tonks ushered him into the compartment. "Come on, old man. Harry and his friends'll be coming on board soon. Best not have a repeat, right?"

"I'm not chopped liver," Remus pouted as he took a seat.

Sitting next to him, Tonks could only smile. "I know, Remus. I know."

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**A/N:** 832 words. A bit of a transition chapter, but I like it nonetheless. I hope you did too, so please review!

P. S. I know there isn't any Emma in this chapter, but I'll include her in the next one!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Hello, my awesome readers! I have finally updated, and I actually like this chapter. We skip the first few days because I really wanted to show Tonks routine. In this chapter, we get some insight on how Tonks feels about Sirius and a bit of bonding time between her and Remus.

Enjoy!

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"Bloody hell," Tonks muttered as she made her way through the dimly lit corridors, slowly letting his disguise drop. As she turned a corner, she was a couple of inches taller with startling grey eyes and bubblegum pink hair that was falling out of a bun. She muffled a yawn with her hand, eyes drooping as she made it to her destination. The first week back to school for the first time in four years had been rough. She had the teachers on her side, with the exception of Snape, but all the homework almost had her missing the paperwork in her little cubicle at the Ministry. Almost. Knocking on the door, Tonks whispered loudly, "Remus, open up."

A disheveled man with a worn button-up and a scarred face swung the door open, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. "Hello, Ms. Livingston. How can I help you this very fine night?"

"Enough of that rubbish," Tonks whined, brushing past him. She'd been in his room before, and it was surprisingly roomy for a teacher's living quarters. There was a small space for a couch and coffee table with a bed pushed against one wall and a desk against another. She plopped herself down onto his couch, shaking her hair out of the bun before shortening it into her signature pixie cut. This time she didn't bother to stop her yawn, stretching across the couch lazily. "I'm glad I didn't have to do more schooling once I was done with Hogwarts," she sighed. "This homework'll be the end of me."

"I doubt you're having trouble in my class though," Remus pointed out as he handed her a cup of tea that she accepted gratefully.

"None of it is hard," Tonks retorted. "It's just so repetitive and boring. I know all of this already. I learned all this nearly a decade ago!" She gulped down her tea, the hot liquid scalding her throat. "Besides, Snape is being a downright nightmare. He keeps picking on me as if he expects me to answer wrong." She shook her head miserably. "I might've broken a vial or two, not to mention cauldrons, in my day, but I knew my stuff."

"Well, you know Severus," Remus smiled, lifting her legs so he could sit, letting them rest on top of him once he was settled. "He lives to torture and ruin your life."

"Is that sarcasm I detect, professor?" Tonks grinned.

"Possibly."

Tonks tilted her head back and let out a throaty laugh. If there was any good part to this mission, it was this. Once a week, every Friday night, Tonks would sneak down to Remus' chamber to talk; work related or not. Sometimes it was just him and her, Emma fast asleep in the conjoined room created for her, or it'd be the three of them, often listening to Emma exaggerate about her day with Madame Pomfrey or whoever she'd spent the day with. Once, she and Emma had fallen asleep together, leaving Remus to take the couch once he moved them to the bed. Speaking of the little devil...

"Where's Emma?" Tonks inquired, swirling around her tea.

"She's still with Poppy," Remus replied calmly. "They came 'round a bit earlier to tell me that Poppy was going to treat Emma some trifle for being such a good helper." Pride shone on his face, the affection he held for his daughter bright in his eyes. "She'll be back soon," he added. "It's Friday, and she knows it. She'll want to come back early enough to see you."

On cue, the door flew open. Emma bounced in, her hair in neat french braids. She smiled toothily at Tonks, squealing, "Dora!" Sitting up quickly, Tonks caught the little, giggling girl. She smiled at Madame Pomfrey who lingered in the doorway. She waved and nudged Emma. "Bye, Madame Pomfrey. Thank you very much for the trifle! It was super yummy. Am I gonna be with you tomorrow?"

"Yes, you will," Madame Pomfrey smiled. "You be good for your father, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Emma gave a mock salute that made the older woman chuckle before she shutting the door and leaving them alone. With an adorable grin, Emma turned to Tonks. "Dora, Malfoy gots scratched by Buckbeak today! He was being a big baby though." She paused to roll her eyes, making Tonks laugh. "I've gotten worse booboos from when I fell out of a tree."

"Well, Malfoy is a bit of a twit," Tonks agreed, thinking of Lucius.

"Emma, it's not nice to call some a baby," Remus reprimanded. "Or a twit," he added with a pointed look to Tonks. He stood up, scooping Emma out of Tonks' arms and setting her onto the ground. "Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed, and maybe if you hurry, Tonks will read you a bedtime story."

"Will you tell me the one about the princesses, Dora?" Emma pleaded with wide eyes, hands clasped in front of her chest.

"If you're quick," Tonks said after a moment, unable to say no to the puppy dogs she was witnessing. Emma let out a whoop of joy before dashing to the bathroom. Running her fingers through her hair, Tonks turned to Remus. "How do you ever say no to her?"

"Simple," Remus shrugged. "I don't."

Laughing, Tonks swatted his shoulder as she stood. "Then she'll be a spoiled brat." They fell into comfortable silence, until Tonks murmured, "Sirius Black is my cousin."

"Excuse me?" Remus said, trying to keep the tension from his voice.

"Second cousin," Tonks corrected quietly. "My mum, Andromeda, was his cousin. She's not technically a Black anymore since she married my dad, and I know Sirius wasn't a Black anymore because he was friends with James Potter. That's what my mum said. I can't but help but wonder if he's innocent, you know? Mum always said he was wild and spontaneous, but he was never stupid, never cruel enough to kill all those people. He's my family, Remus. We have the same blood coursing through our veins."

"You are nothing like Sirius Black." There was a note of finality in his voice that had Tonks do a double take. Had she said something to offend him?

Before she could say anything more, Emma came bounding up to her with a toothy grin. "Will you tell me my bedtime story now, Dora?"

With a longing glance to Remus, who wouldn't even meet her eye, Tonks forced a smile and said, "Yeah, 'course, Emma."

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**A/N: **1,123 words. SO! How was it? The next chapter will most likely be Tonks with the Golden Trio, possibly in Remus' class. I'd love to hear what you think, so please leave a review!


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I don't own HP. I own Emma.

**A/N:** Wotcher, readers! Here I am with an amazing update, if I do say so myself. A chapter filled with our dearly beloved Golden Trio, Emma, Annie/Tonks, and Professor Lupin (; I hope you enjoy!

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"Professor Lupin, could you help me with this wand movement?"

Meeting his cocked eyebrow, Tonks grinned innocently as she waved her wand around, nearly poking someone in the eye. She smiled even wider when she saw him try to glare at her while he stifled a chuckle before moving on to another student. She felt someone tap her shoulder and turned around. Ron and Harry were laughing at her while Hermione was still diligently practicing the spell. Tonks smiled back at them sincerely. She became decent friends with the trio in the past few weeks; sure, they kept loads of secrets, but what kid didn't?

"Bloody hell, Annie," Ron laughed, clutching his stomach. "Did you see that look Lupin gave you? He hates you! I can't see how you managed. He has more patience than all the other teachers combined! And you aren't half bad at DADA either. You almost give Harry a run for his money, and he's always been the best at this class."

"What can I say?" Tonks shrugged, laughing as well. "I'm a natural."

"At annoying Lupin or DADA?" Ron asked.

"Both," she said with a mischievous grin.

"There was the time you spilled that load of hippogriff dung on him," Harry reminded through his laughter.

"Oh, don't remind me!" Tonks sighed, face turning red. It'd been last week. She'd gotten detention from Snape along with Harry, and they was serving it with Remus. She was practically dragging a bucket her size full of dung when she tripped, causing it to fly into Remus. She remembered sputtering, flustered and humiliated beyond belief, but near tears in laughter. "I got a week of detention because of that."

"Yeah, I think it was worth the story," Ron said. "How many people get to say they threw dung at a professor and lived to tell about it?" He noticed Remus watching them, and he quickly pretended to practice the spell. "Eh, Annie, you spend a bunch of time with Lupin, don't you? I mean, with all the detentions you get and everything."

"I guess," Tonks replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Cause people have seen him around with a little girl," Ron explained. "They say she looks just like 'im too. Everyone's saying she's his daughter, but no one knows the mother, and everybody's too chicken to ask."

Before Tonks or Harry could say anything, Emma sprinted into the room, screaming bloody murder. Tonks watched her with a fond smile. It'd been a while since she'd gotten the chance to see the girl. She'd been really busy with homework and becoming friends with Harry. Emma was wearing jeans and a red sweater to fend off the cool weather with her hair in a ponytail. She didn't know Tonks was undercover as a student, so she didn't even bat an eyelash as she ran past Tonks.

"Daddy!" Emma yelled, throwing herself into Remus' arms. Though he was caught off guard, he managed to catch his daughter. She was panting and red-faced, eyes wide with adrenaline. "Daddy, Professor Snape is mean!" The class had become dead silent when Emma ambled in, but at hearing her complaint, all the Gryffindor students burst into laughter. Emma turned to them, wearing an adorable pout. "Do you know Professor Snape? He's a big meanie! I asked to play outside by the lake instead of cleaning the cauldrons like he asked me to, and he yelled at me for being insubordinate!" She looked genuinely confused as she wrinkled her nose, saying, "I don't even know what insubordinate _means_!" By now, every Gryffindor was clutching their stomachs (except for Hermione who kept a politely indifferent face on, even though the corners of her lips were most definitely twitching upwards), faces red from laughter while the Slytherins glared at them.

"Emma," Remus said sternly, catching his daughter's and everyone else's attention. "I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to leave your caretaker's sights while I was working." She only gave him puppy eyes dogs in reply, and he fought a sigh. Emma was perfectly fine with Minerva, Sprout, Poppy, and nearly every other woman at Hogwarts, but when it was Severus's or Filius's turn, she had a fit and ran off. It didn't happen nearly as often with Filius, just the two times, but it happened every time she was with Severus.

"I wanted to play with Dora, but I couldn't find her!" Emma exclaimed loudly. "Daddy, where is she?"

Remus met Tonks' eyes over the top of Emma's head, and he found himself amused by how embarrassed she looked, cheeks a subtle pink. He winked slyly at her, and she smiled at him before he said to Emma, "Dora is busy at the moment, but I'm sure she'll swing by tonight." He locked eyes with Tonks once more, and she gave him a small nod. "But since you're being such a bad girl, I can tell her that she'll have to come another time."

"No, no, no, daddy!" Emma said immediately, shaking her head fervently. "I'll be good promise." She went as far as holding her pinky, earning gleeful coos from the girls in the class.

Remus turned to his class, instructing, "I do believe class is over now. I want a two page essay on what situations you could possibly use this spell in. Dismissed." Like that all the students took off, and he followed their example. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the sight of Tonks talking animatedly with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

What he didn't know was that the four of them were talking about him.

"That was brilliant!" Ron grinned as they left the classroom. "I like Lupin's daughter already if she's smart enough to tell that Snape's no good."

"Ron, don't be so rude," Hermione scolded.

"What?" Ron scowled. "I'm just saying."

"Who do you think Dora is?" Harry spoke up.

"Oh, I bet she's Professor Lupin's girlfriend," Hermione gushed with a smile. "Did you see the way he got when he said her name? And Emma obviously adores this person." Ron and Harry snorted at her idea, so she turned to Tonks. "What about you, Annie? Do you think Dora could be Professor Lupin's girlfriend."

Tonks merely smiled and shook her head. _I wish._

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**A/N:** 1,089 words. Well, now that it's over, what do you think? Was anyone OOC? I hope not! I'd love to hear what you thought of it in a wonderful review, and I'm also eager to hear what you want to see happen in the next chapter, so please review!


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